Faucet



I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER CLARKE, OF BROOKLYN, NENV YORK.

FAUCET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,065, dated November 10, 1896. Application filed April 7,1896. Serial No. 586,582. (No model.)

To all 7.1377107, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER CLARKE, a citizen of the United States,residing in Brooklyn, Kings county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Faucets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in faucets; and it con sists, substantially, in such features of construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts as will hereinafter be more particularly described.

The invention has relation to faucets generally, but more particularly to that class or type of faucet employed in connection with flush-tanks for sewers and the like, which are periodically discharged to effect the flushin g.

- The invention has for its object the prevention of lost motion between the valve of the faucet and the connecting media through which the same is caused to be operated, and also to provide a faucet of this class or type which is exceedingly simple in construction and one which operates at all times with an equal degree of certainty and effectiveness.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an increased leverage upon the valve as the same is operated to leave its seat through the action of the water as it is caused to descend below its normal height within the tank.

These objects, together with others, I attain by means substantially as I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and wherein I Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of an ordinary flush-tank andshowing my invention as embodied in connection there the position assumed by the'parts when the height of the water in the tankis lowered by causing a quantity of the water to be discharged from the tank for flushing purposes. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the faucet and indicating the construction and arrangement of parts more clearly, the valve being shown in its closed position; and Fig. 3 is asimilar view representing the parts in the position which they assume when the valve is opened. Fig. 4 is a View looking at the faucet from the left. larged vertical sectional View of a modification of myimproved faucet wherein the valve is operated by an ordinary turning-plug, the

said figure indicating in full lines the valve in its closed position, the dotted lines representing the open position thereof.

\Vhile my invention is capable of a great many different embodiments, I have found such forms thereof as I have herein represented to be exceedingly simple and effective for my purpose, and therefore I have selected the same as the most convenient means for illustration. As before stated, my invention relates mainly to a faucet, whatever the particular use or connection for which the same is employed, and I may either use or adapt my invention to those purposes wherein it is desirable that the same shall be operated automatically, as in the instance of flush-tanks generally, or else I may readily adapt my invention to those uses orpurposes wherein the valve of the faucet is opened directly through the medium of a hand operating or turning plug or similar operating devices, such, for instance, as a push pin or plug normally held in its outward or retracted position by means of a spring or any Well-known equivalent thereof.

Fig. 5 is an en- In the practice of the invention it is of course desirable to employ as simple a construction. as possible, whether the valve be hand operated or automatically operated, and in connection with both of these forms, as herein shown and to be described, it will be seen that the parts are exceedingly simple and that their effectiveness is sure.

In the use of my improved faucet in connection with ordinary flush-tanks it is of course necessary to support the device or contrivance at the required height or position relative to the top of the tank, and for this purpose I have employed certain devices which will be described, and in like manner all the main or essential characteristics of my invention will also be hereinafter described; but it is to be understood that I am not limited to the precise details of construction and arrangement, which, as before stated, have only been herein selected for the illustration.

purposes of a tubular portion a, formed with an outer screw-thread b for a suitable distance from its upper end and having at its upper end an annular flange c, leaving an offset opening 01, which constitutes the valve-port opening, and the upper surface of the-saidannular flange forming in this instancethe seat of thevalve which closes the saidvalve-opening d. In connection: with this described tubular-portion of the ball-cock I may employ any suit able form of risingrand-falling valve, and in some instancesit would be convenient to em.-

ploy an ordinary flat valvegroundtoits seat in the well-k11own way; but with such form the lifting power required to movet-he valve from itsseat would be much. g-reaterthan is prefer the employment of a tiltingvalve, such, for instance, as I have; herein shown, Thus 6 represents the valve,,which is preferably conical in form. and of sufficient height or thickness to furnishweight,enough tohold the valve to its-seat simply by the weight of the column of water above it Without any head or pressurebeing 011.. In order to furnish the desired tilting movement to. the valve, as well as to provide a packing between the valve and, its seat, I preferably form an annular groove, at the base of the valve and.

fit uponthe lower projecting end f astripof leather or. other suitablematerial g, and which strip of flexible materialis securedby means of a. rivet or screw 7t to the seat of. the valve at t'. The valve being normally held to. its closed position, it is evident that upon the application ofaforce-thereto to-open thesame it will be carried upward-1y or caused to swing in. an obvious manner. From thisconstruction and arrangement it is evident that. an increasedleverageupon the valve is obtained, and whether the same be operated by hand or'by automatic devicescontrolledby the descent and rise of water in the flush-tank the action is the same, and in the case of the flush-tank a comparatively low pressure is. required to close the valve to restore it to its normal position.

hen. used in connectionwith fluslntanks, some suitable form of float is required, together with suitable intermediate mechanism for controlling and operating the valve in accordanoewith the rising and falling, of the float, and, while various forms of these devices or mechanism could be-resortedto, asaconvenient and reliable means I prefer to use such, for instance, as, I. have hercinrepresented, and which will now be described.

Entering the valve at the under side and preferably by being screwed therein is the upper end of the valve-stem m, and this stem instead of being straight throughout its length is only straight for about one-half its length after leaving the valve, and it is then given a slight bend or curveat TL and is wid ened for a suitable distance from its lower end at 0, and formed in this widened portion is an elongated slot or notch 0, the sides of which constitute guides for a movable roller .0, carried. on a pin 8, loosely held or supported between the bifurcated end of a pivoted or swinging lever 3, having its fulcrum upon a small rod or pin if, having its bearings in lugs taprojecting from the side of the tubular portion a of the ball-cock hereinbefore referred. to, theside of the tubularv portion. be

ing cut out at r to accommodate thesaid. lever and. permit of the necessary vibratingor swinging action thereof caused; by the rise and fall of the float. devices may be varied: in. their general; con- 'struction and arrangement, and. I: am not limited thereto in: their precise. detail; but 1 inasmuch. as. I: have found in. actual. practice desirable inpractice, and for such reason. I

As before; stated, these that they fully subserve their intended functions I prefer to adopt the same. IVitht-his I particular embodimentof my invention some suitable form offloat-and connecting-means are tobe used-,and, while theselin like manner may be constructed in various ways, I prefer to-use such as I have-.shownand which I will now describe, I take an ordinary hollow glass or metal float and render thesame air-tight, at its mouth ,2 by the insertion therein of any suitable form of bushing or packing, the said. float being. indicated at 1 and the bushing or packing at 2,v and passing through the said bushing or packingand entering thefioat is a connecting-rod 3, preferably of a length to reach all the way. to the bottom of the float, at. one end; and leaving a.

sufficient portion projecting from the neck of the float foren'abling the proper: connection to bemade between the said connectingrod and the pivoted or swinging lever 8, here inbefore referred to. The outer projecting end, of thesaid projecting. rod; may be joined to the upper or shorterarm of the said lever in any suitable way; but as a convenient way I have formed on the end of the connecting-rod' a. short screw-threaded. portion '5,which enters ascrew-threaded opening 6,

leading. intothesaidi shorter arm of the-lever from the outer side or face of the latter. It will thus be seen that. when the water in the flush-tank is'at its: ordinary height or level the position of the parts will'be as represented infull lines, Fig; 1,.that. isto say, the valve will be closedv down. upon. its seat, the-swing ing lever .9 will be in. an, approximate Verticalposition andithe connecting-rod and. float will bein a. substantially horizontal position with the latter riding upon the .surfaceof. the water. Upon; discharging a; portion of; the contents of the tank for flushing purposes the column of water in the tank will of course be lowered, and as the same is gradually lowered the float is carried down with it, and consequently the swinging lever s is carried within the tubular portion ct of the ball cock, and in so moving the lower bifurcated end of said lever describes a sweepfin the are of a circle, and the small roller 0, carried by the lower end of said lever, is caused to ride against and upon the farther wall of the notch 0 in the widened portion of the stem of the valve, and this causes the stem to move upwardly, carrying with it the valve,and then as soon as the tank begins to fill again the parts will gradually assume their original position, and the valve closed, as before. In virtue of the construction of the bend in the stem of the valve the said stem is caused to move more nearly in a vertical line centrally of the offset opening cl than would be the case were the stem perfectly straight throughout, and also by so bending the stem it is carried over to one side of the tubular portion a to efiect the proper connection with lever 3. Moreover, the abutment or impingement of the outwardly-curved side of the bent portion of the valve-stem against the opposite inner side of the tubular portion a limits the upward movement of the valve and float, and the parts become locked in this position, with no strain on the valve-hinge, until they are restored,asbefore,by the refilling of the tank. It thus requiresbut slight movement of the parts to instantly affect the valve both in opening and closing. In connection with this form or embodiment of my invention I employ as a convenient means for inclosing the valve in a way to render the same readily accesible a coupling-tube 10, screw-threaded to fit the upper screw-thread of the tubular portion a, and also having a screw-threaded nipple 11, receiving a nut 12, within which latter is held a connection 13, leading to any suitable source of supply for the flushingtank. This construction is simple and enables the valve to be reached very easily, and while the same constitutes a minor feature only of the invention it is at the same time preferred.

Referrin g to the modification shown in Fig. 5, it will be seen that substantially the same form of valve is employed, but the same is operated by hand instead of being operated automatically, as before. In this instance the plug of the faucet is hollow, as represented at 15, the valve 16 being hinged at 17 in substantially the same way, and being also provided with substantially the same kind of stem 18, the lower curved portion of the latter normally resting against the side of the plug or faucet, and secured to the outer side of said plug or faucet is a screw-threaded bearing 19, having a bushing or plug 20, and passing through the bushing is an operatingstem, to the outer end of which is attached a hand-wheel 21, and which stem presses against the stem of the valve, and by pushing in upon the said stem in one direction the valve will be caused to be lifted or raised from its seat, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 5, whereas portion having a vertical opening in one side thereof, and constructed at its upper end with a valve-seat formed with a port eccentrio to the axis of said tubular portion, a hinged valve closing down on said seat and having a valve-stem bent or curved to one side in a part of its length, and notched vertically at its lower end, a swinging bifurcated lever working through the opening in the side of the tubular portion and supported in lugs projecting from the latter, a movable sliding connection between the lower end of the lever and the notched end of the valve-stem, and a float having a rod connecting with the upper end of said swinging lever, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER cLARKE.

Witnesses:

WM. F. VAN DEINTE, CHARLES H. MEYER. 

